Sunday, January 30, 2011

January 31-February 13 at St. Stephen's

Fr. Jamie’s vacation
Fr. Jamie will be on vacation January 31-February 12. Please contact Pastor Mark Strobel at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church (235-5591) if you have any pastoral concerns or emergencies.

Wednesday February 2The Feast of the Presentation
6:00 pm – Evening Prayer
Sandy Holbrook, officiant
supper afterward at a local restaurant

Sunday February 65 Epiphany
11:00 am – Holy Eucharist
Pr. Mark Strobel, celebrant/preacher
Children’s Chapel

Wednesday February 9Observing the feast of Bl. Charles Freer Andrews
6:00 pm – Evening Prayer
Sandy Holbrook, officiant
supper afterward at a local restaurant

Sunday February 136 Epiphany
11:00 am – Holy Eucharist
Fr. Jamie Parsley, celebrant/Sandy Holbrook, preacher
Children’s Chapel

Sunday, January 23, 2011

The week of January 24

Join us this week at St. Stephen’s

Monday January 24
6:00 pm – Memorial service for James Parsley (+January 21, 2011) at Fredrickson Funeral Chapel, Kindred, ND.

Tuesday, January 25
6:30 pm – Healing Eucharist at HeartSprings
Fr Jamie, celebrant/preacher

Wednesday January 26Bl. Florence Li Tim-oi
6:00 pm – Mass
Fr. Jamie, celebrant/preacher
Incense will be used at this Mass
Supper afterward at a local restaurant

Thursday, January 27
6:30 pm – Young(er) Episcopalians at Grazie’s (located at located just off I-94 and 45th street in the Multiband Tower at 2000 44th Street SW, Fargo)

Sunday January 304 Epiphany
11:00 am – Holy Eucharist
Fr. Jamie, celebrant/preacher
Children’s Chapel
- Annual Meeting and potluck following

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Michelle Gelinske, Jim and Joy Coffey in GENERATIONS

Our own cantor extraordinaire, Michelle Gelinske, is been featured in a article in the latest Generations supplement of the Fargo Forum. Also quoted in the article are our own Jim and Joy Coffey. Please take a moment and read all about it:

http://www3.forumnewspaper.com/Olive/ODE/ForumGenerations/LandingPage/LandingPage.aspx?href=Rm9ydW1HZW5lcmF0aW9ucy8yMDExLzAxLzE4&pageno=MjA.&entity=QXIwMjAwMw..&view=ZW50aXR5

Monday, January 17, 2011

3 Baptisms & a wedding this week at St. Stephen's

There's much to celebrate this week at St. Stephen’s

Wednesday January 19Observing the Feast of Bl. Phillips Brooks
6:00 pm – Mass
Fr. Jamie, celebrant/preacher
Incense will be used at this Mass
supper afterward at a local restaurant

Saturday January 22
4:00 pm – Wedding of Jamie Alm & Kyle Beckius

Sunday January 233 Epiphany
11:00 am – Holy Eucharist
Baptisms of Gracelyn Miller, Shannon & Colleen Olson
Fr. Jamie, celebrant/preacher
Children’s Chapel

Monday, January 10, 2011

The week of Jan. 10

Join us this week at St. Stephen's

Wednesday January 12
St. Aelred
6:00 pm – Mass
Fr. Jamie, celebrant/preacher
Incense will be used at this Mass
supper afterward at a local restaurant

Thursday, January 13
2:00 pm – Evangelism Committee

Saturday January 15
4:00 pm – Baptism of Paige Korina Pearson

Sunday January 162 Epiphany
11:00 am – Holy Eucharist
Fr. Jamie, celebrant/Sandy Holbrook, preacher
Children’s Chapel
12:45 pm – Vestry

Monday, January 3, 2011

THE BLESSING OF CHALK/HOMES AT EPIPHANYTIDE
THE PROCLAMATION OF THE DATE OF EASTER
EPIPHANY CAKE

On Wednesday, January 5, the eve of the Feast of the Epiphany, during our 6:00 pm Mass, we at St. Stephen's will have a traditional “Blessing of the Chalk” and “Blessing of the homes of the parish” as well as ceremoniously Proclaim the Date of Easter.

Since the Middle Ages there has been a tradition that on (or near) the feast of the Epiphany we pray for God’s blessing on our homes, marking the entrance with chalk (an incarnational image reminding us of the dust of the earth from which we were made). We mark the main door of our home with the initials of the Magi and the numerals of the new year, connected with crosses:

20 + C + M + B + 11

The initials remind us of the legendary names of the Magi – Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar – and also stand for the Latin motto: Christus mansionem benedicat, “May Christ bless this house.” In the Book of Exodus, the Israelites marked their doors with blood so that the Lord would pass over their homes; but in this ritual, we mark our doors with chalk as a sign that we have invited God’s presence and blessing into our homes.

It is traditional to write the inscription on the lintel, above the door, but it can be written anywhere near the entrance. The following prayer may be said while the entrance is marked:

The three Wise Men,
C Caspar,
M Melchior,
B and Balthasar followed the star of God’s Son who became human
20 two thousand
11 and eleven years ago.
++ May Christ bless our home
++ and remain with us throughout the new year. Amen.

The Proclamation of the Date of Easter on Epiphany dates from a time when calendars were not readily available. It was necessary to make known the date of Easter in advance, since many celebrations of the liturgical year depend on its date. The number of Sundays that follow Epiphany, the date of Ash Wednesday, and the number of Sundays that follow Pentecost are all computed in relation to Easter.

Following Mass, please join is for the traditional Epiphany cake. A nut is baked into the cake and whoever gets the nuts in her or his piece of cake must bring the cake the next year. Last year, Greg Craychee (who died suddenly on June 6, 2010) got the nut, so a parishioner has very graciously offered to bring the Epiphany cake this year.

May this Epiphany Blessing be a reminder that Christ is incarnate in the love and care we manifest to each other in our ordinary daily lives together.

Even if you are unable to make it to the Epiphany Eve Mass this year, the chalk will be available for anyone who would like to use it to bless their homes.

Prayers for the repose of the soul of John Powers

The prayers of the St. Stephen’s congregation are requested for the repose of the soul of John Powers, who died December 30, 2010. John was the father of the Revd Liz Powers, former Priest in Charge of St. Stephen’s. Please keep Liz and Sam Robertson and their family in your prayers.

His obituary follows:

Powers, John H., Ph.D. of Mounds View, on December 30, 2010 in his 86th year. Full notice was Sunday. Mass of Christian Burial Tuesday, Jan. 4 at 11 AM, Immaculate Conception Church, 4044 NE Jackson St., Columbia Heights with visitation one hour before the service at the church and Monday (TODAY), 4-7:30 PM, prayer service 7 PM with KC rosary to follow, at the Billman-Hunt Chapel, 2701 Central Ave. NE, Mpls. Billman-Hunt 612-789-3535

Sunday, January 2, 2011

The week of January 3

Join us this week at St. Stephen’s

Wednesday January 5
Eve of The Epiphany
6:00 pm – Mass
The blessing of Chalk/The blessing of the homes of the parish
Fr. Jamie, celebrant/preacher
Incense will be used at this Mass
Dessert first: Epiphany cake will be served after the Mass
supper follows at a local restaurant

Thursday, January 6 - The Feast of the Epiphany

Sunday January 91 Epiphany/Baptism of Our Lord
Anglican Communion Sunday

11:00 am – Holy Eucharist
Fr. Jamie, celebrant/preacher
Children’s Chapel